Karl Dempwolf is a key figure in California plein air painting, so much so that PleinAir magazine publisher Eric Rhoads will present Dempwolf with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) in April. That’s one of the reasons Dempwolf will be there in San Diego. But why else?
Dempwolf says he will likely discuss the advantages he’s found in painting in a small format. Many of his recent plein air pieces are just 5” x 7”. “Painting small, you eliminate 90 percent of what’s in front of you,” he says. “You just get the most important shapes down.” Dempwolf has a book coming out that shows his small plein air pieces, along with reference photos and comments on the painting session, so readers can see what he did with what he saw. “These small studies are so juicy! Is there a relationship between what was in front of me and what I painted? Maybe. But you don’t have to duplicate what’s in front of you,” Dempwolf says.
The painter says he looks forward to PACE because it’s a chance for him to “give back.” He also appreciates the vendors who sell their wares there, explaining their products and sharing their art materials knowledge. But mostly, it’s about the camaraderie.
“It’s such a joy to paint with others,” says Dempwolf. “We’re not painting that close together, I talk to no one, but there still is the camaraderie of people who go out and paint together. There is something that binds you together. It’s just absolutely wonderful. It’s like we sing at the same octave level, all of us who go out here and paint. It ties us all together and binds us. It’s just wonderful.”
For developing artists, PACE is a particular boon, according to Dempwolf. “It can really help the people who are coming along or are new at this painting thing, working in their garage like I did for years,” says Dempwolf. “You’ll be listening to people with years and years of experience with painting. The people in the audience will learn from anybody who goes up on stage, sharing their knowledge.”
Dempwolf will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Plein Air Convention & Expo, which will be held April 24-28 in San Diego, California. Have you seen the list of faculty members that will be instructing participants? It includes Jeremy Lipking, Quang Ho, James Gurney, Charlie Hunter, and dozens more. The convention is already almost 90 percent filled. Go here to learn more and to register for PACE.
